Invertible sailing toy for use on water or on land



Dec. l0, 1963 w. G. FLETCHER 3,113,397

INVERTIBLE SAILING TOY FOR USE ON WATER OR ON LAND Filed April 25, 1961 INVENTOR 34 :wu/AM com: nfrcf/e 2o Vf gf? Arme' y United States Patent O 3,113,397 INVERTlBLl-l SAILING TOY FOR USE N WATER 0R 0N LAND William G. Fletcher, Bogota, NJ. Filed Apr. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 165,451 3 Claims. (Cl. id-96) This application relates to a sailing toy for use on water or on land.

An object of the invention is to provide such a device which is simple, comprising parts which can be assembled by a small child.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a toy which is invertible and can be used in one position for sailing on water and in another position for being propelled on land by means of a sail.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the abovementioned kind with means for supporting a mast so that the weight of the mast, and of a sail thereon, and the force of wind striking the sail, may be counterbalanced by moving the mast toward or away from opposite sides of the device.

The invention will best be understood if the following description is read in connection with the drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a plan View with the boom partly brolren away,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, showing two positions of the arm 21,

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation, and

FIGURE 4 is a View showing the device after being inverted from the position for use on water shown in FIG- URES 2 and 3 to a position for use on land.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein two hulls or pontoons lil and 12, capable of being supported by water are interconnected and at the same time spaced apart by cross means, which of course may be unitary, but which as illustrated herein comprises members 1d and 16, respectively, which are detachably connected to the members 1i) and 12 as by the bolt and Wing nut means 1S.

The structure thus provided, simulating a catamaran structure, is also provided with wheels 2i?. These wheels may be mounted on hubs projecting laterally from the members l@ and 12 respectively, or from the cross members 1d and 16. As shown, the headed pins p extend through a small center opening in the Wheels into the ends of members 14.- and 16 respectively and thus provide the axles on which the Wheels are rotatably mounted. Preferably the wheels are so disposed, and are of a size such, that when the device is resting on its hull or pontoon members it) and 12 the perimeter of the wheels will not extend into the water, but when the structure is inverted the perimeter of the wheels will extend below the cross members 1li and 16 so that the assembly is supported upon the wheels.

Holes h are provided in cross member 14 into which a pin p with wheel 2t? on it may be inserted after being drawn out of the member which supports it when functioning as an axle. In this manner the wheels, especially those at the front end of the structure, may be employed to give extra weight at the rear end of the structure when it is supported by Water-thereby helping the device to plane over `the water, and to adjust weight laterally of the device.

Pivotally connected to one of the cross members 11i- 15, as by the detachable bolt and thumb screw means 19, is an arm 21 which at its free end has the socket 22, which as shown is a concavity to receive the lower end of a mast 3,113,397 Patented Dec. 10, 1963 ICC 34. Arm 21 is invcrtible and soclret 22 receives the lower end of the mast either when the structure is resting on its hulls or pontoons l@ and 12, or when it is inverted and resting on its wheels 20.

A boom 26 is supplied which has at its inner end the ring or collar 28 which can be readily threated over the mast 24 and a sail Si) is shown which is supplied along its vertical edge with the rings 32 and along its lower edge with rings 34 for engaging the sail on the mast and -on the boom in a Way such diat it may be speedily assembled on such members and raised or lowered and removed from said members.

The free end of the boom 26 is provided with a ilexible member 36 by which the boom may be tied to some part of the structure, as for example the cross member 14. Tiller post 4i) is shown extending up through cross member 14 from the rudder 42. The tiller post has at its lower end the rudder 42, and at its upper end the tiller 44. The forward end of tiller 44 may be provided with the eye 46 for attachment to a exible member 47 by which the tiller may be tied to the superstructure of the device to hold the rudder at a desired angle.

The arm 21 is an important part of the invention. By means of it the weight of the mast, boom and sail may be shifted from one side to the other side of the device much as the crews of sailing boats move from side to side to provide balance when a boat is heeling over. As shown herein, the length of arm 21 is approximately onehalf the distance between the two hull or pontoon members 1i) and 12, and may if desired be swung through 360 thereby changing the position of the mast, boom and sail assembly both fore and aft the device, and also laterally of the device. The weight of the mast, boom and sail may be shifted both laterally and longitudinally of the device by a distance twice the length of arm 21.

The device disclosed herein is capable of developing very high speed either in water or on land and the invertibility of the device adds greatly to the attraction of the device for children who can readily either remove arm 21 from one surface and mount it on the opposite surface or leave the arm in one position and remove the mast from either socket 22 or 24 and insert it in the other of said sockets after the device has been inverted.

Other important practical features of the invention are the `speed and ease with which its parts may be assembled or disassembled, and the compactness of the device when disassembled which is an advantage in merchandising it, especially by mail order.

There has thus been provided a toy in which the abovestated objects have been accomplished in a thoroughly practical manner.

What I claim is:

1. An invertible sailing toy comprising, two hulls disposed in parallel in combination with cross means extending between and above the two hulls, and an arm pivoted at one end on said cross means for swinging movement in a horizontal plane, said arm having at its free end means to receive the lower end of a mast, and wheels rotatively mounted at the ends of said cross means and projecting beyond the upper surface of the hulls and said cross means.

2. The structure claimed in claim l in which said arm is reversible to project the mast receiving means either upwardly or downwardly relative to the hulls, and means for detachably pivoting said arm on said cross means with the mast receiving means projecting either upwardly or downwardly relative to the hulls.

3. An invertible toy comprising, two hulls disposed in parallel and interconnected and spaced apart by superstructure secured to said hulls, wheels rotatively mounted on and projecting outwardly from the said hulls and the positions, with the mast receiving means extending either means spacing them apart, said Wheels being of such a upwardly or downwardly with respect to the said hulls. size and so disposed as to project above the hulls and the superstructure whereby the device may either be References Cife in the me 0f this paient floated in water upon the hulls, or inverted and sup- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS ported upon its wheels, and means for supporting a mast, said means being invertible, and means for detachably pivoting said mast supporting means in either of two 

1. AN INVERTIBLE SAILING TOY COMPRISING, TWO HULLS DISPOSED IN PARALLEL IN COMBINATION WITH CROSS MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND ABOVE THE TWO HULLS, AND AN ARM PIVOTED AT ONE END ON SAID CROSS MEANS FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE, SAID ARM HAVING AT ITS FREE END MEANS TO RECEIVE THE LOWER END OF A MAST, AND WHEELS ROTATIVELY MOUNTED AT THE ENDS OF SAID CROSS MEANS AND PROJECTING BEYOND THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE HULLS AND SAID CROSS MEANS. 